Hafer was just 37 years old when he was part of the prosecution team for the U.S. Attorney in 2013 that would lead to Whitey Bulger being found guilty on 31 criminal counts including the notorious Irish gangster being involved in 11 murders.

Bulger, who was serving a life sentence for his crimes, was recently killed in a West Virginia prison.

Tobin was assisting with the prosecution of Carlos Rafael, owner of one of largest fishing enterprises in the country, to then Assistant U.S. Attorney Lelling’s case against the New Bedford-based “Codfather.”

The following September a federal judge sentenced Rafael to 46 months in prison and a $200,000 fine.

Lelling and Tobin would also successfully prosecute Bristol County Sheriff Antonio Freitas of Taunton last year for smuggling cash $17,500 in cash for Rafael through airport security to Portugal.

Freitas was sentenced to serve one year and a day in prison plus three years of supervised release.

“This is a very strong team of prosecutors. Zachary Hafer was reportedly given serious consideration for the post of U.S. attorney that ultimately went to Andrew Lelling, and after Lelling's appointment, Hafer was named chief of the Criminal Division in Lelling’s office. Tobin is an experienced prosecutor assigned to the Major Crimes Unit of the Criminal Division. Both Hafer and Tobin have extensive experience in high-profile and sophisticated criminal prosecutions,” said Roger Williams School of Law Michael Yelnosky.

Correia was arrested and arraigned in October on 13 federal criminal wire and tax fraud charges after a investigation lasting more than a year and involving the FBI; the Internal Revenue’s crime division; the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Office of Inspector General; and the Massachusetts Inspector General as well as Boston’s U.S. Attorney’s Office. His case is scheduled to return to federal court on Dec. 6.

One of Correia’s defense attorneys also has a Bulger connection. A group that Yelnosky said are also a very strong team of defense attorneys.

Well known Brockton-based defense attorney Kevin Reddington defended Bulger’s longtime girlfriend, Catherine Greig, who was living with the killer while on the lam for 16 years before their capture in California in 2011.

Greig in 2012 pleaded guilty to three charges, including harboring Bulger and was sentenced to eight years in prison.

Reddington would be back by Greig’s side in federal court in early 2016 when she was brought up on a contempt charges for refusing to testify in a grand jury to who helped the couple skirt law enforcement for years. She received additional prison time.

Not one to shy away from high-profile cases like Correia’s federal indictment —which made international news — Reddington represented in 2014 another infamous Fall River mayor — Will Flanagan.

Correia, a city councilor at the time, had accused Flanagan of attempting to intimidate him with a gun in a late-night meeting in the then-mayor’s SUV. The reason, Correia claimed at the time, was his signing a recall petition. Flanagan, he claimed at the time, was trying to persuade him to say he was intimidated by a recaller.

In what may have been one of the oddest press conferences seen in the city, Reddington, before a scrum of media, theatrically waved the results of a polygraph test taken by Flanagan that they claimed proved he was innocent of Correia’s allegations.

“We are expecting that at this point Mr. Correia would recognize the damage and blood-letting he has caused the city,” Reddington said to the media.

“He has been practicing law for over 40 years and has handled over 100 homicide cases,” said Yelnosky.

Correia’s other defense attorney, Mark A. Berthiaume, of Greenberg Traurig, understands the inner workings of the federal court system as a former federal assistant U. S. attorney.

Berthiaume was hired by Correia early on in the FBI investigation.

Last year Berthiaume was involved in a high-profile case in Rhode Island when he and his team represented Rhode Island Superior Court Judge Rafael Ovalles in a judicial disciplinary case for misconduct and harassing female employees.

“Both sides will be well represented before and at and after trial if a trial is necessary,” Yelnosky said.

Email Jo C. Goode at jgoode@heraldnews.com.

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